How to find matching tiles?

Matching tiles to existing wall tiles or floor tiles already fitted can be a nightmare. If I had a pound for every customer that walks into our shop wanting to find a tile to match up, I would be a millionaire by now! So you are not alone…..

What steps can you take to try to find matching tiles?

Initially, contact the tile shop from where they were purchased, you may be in luck and they have left over stock, or the tile is still in production so will be able to source them for you.

If this is not possible, do you know the name or design of the wall or floor tile to be matched or the manufacturer of the tile; that is a big bonus. This information can usually be found on any spare boxes of tiles left over or the manufacturer’s name imprinted on the back of the tile.

If you have the name of the tile, try searching for this on the internet.

If you do not get any results, go to the Tile Association website’s ‘Find a Tile’. Click onto the letter of the Tile Manufacturer, find the manufacturer in the list and click onto this to view a list of all Tile Association members that stock tiles from that particular manufacturer. Then it is a case of doing the donkeywork and calling each tile retailer individually to check on possible matching stock of the tiles.

However, not all tile shops are members of the Tile Association, so you will then need to try contacting the manufacturer directly. Search the Internet with the name of the tile manufacturer along with the country of origin to reduce your results. If you manage to find their website, contact them by email and request either a list of tile shops that have bought that particular design in the past or details of their tile stockists in the UK. Then I am afraid it’s back to the donkeywork and phoning each of the tile shops directly.

If you don’t know the name of the tile or manufacturer, you will most likely be facing an ever increasing struggle, traipsing around tile shops for eternity and not find a tile to match. Sorry to be so negative, but sometimes the truth hurts….

However, all is not lost. Most customers are usually trying to match up bathroom wall tiles because of taking out a bath or introducing a shower. So, why not go to your local tile shop and check out any special offers they have, you might be surprised to find that replacing all the tiles and creating a brand new look isn’t as expensive as you thought.

I posted this reply back in April but for some reason it didn’t show up….

Hi Susan
It looks like the tile is from a company called A.L.Co Ceramiche in Italy – but according to the Tile Association website, no current members are stocking tiles from this manufacturer. Their website is tilelook.com. I’d suggest contacting them directly for details of any suppliers of those tiles.
Regards
Susan

Hi Gina
I checked with the Tile Association and they don’t appear to have a tile manufacturer called Tilestyle – and their list includes pretty much all manufacturers worldwide. Maybe it’s a brand rather the manufacturer. Sorry, but I can’t help you with this one I’m afraid.
Regards
Susan

We are looking to expand our kitchen by a small amount and need more tile to match the existing kitchen which was renovated 13 years ago. the tile is Imola Velia 13 x 13 tile. we only need about 12 tiles. Can anyone help us out?

Hi Diane
The chances of you finding a tile that was installed 13 years ago is remote at best. Retailers will run down their stocks and dump any small quantities of leftovers after a number of years following discontinuation.
Good luck with your search
Susan

I am seeking a CK Ceramica Floor tile (Lisbo Marfil) foe my cloakroom floor following a pipe leak. I have tried local tile suppliers without success. I want to contact the manufacturer (CK Ceramica?) but cant find any contact details. Are they still in business? If so can you assist with website/email?
Many thanks

Hi Peter
I’ve discovered this is another brand used by the company Colorker. Their website is colorker.com and they have contact details listed on the site. And you can also try other Colorker stockist listed on the Tile Association website at https://www.tiles.org.uk/tiles/colorker.
Regards
Peter

Hi Andy
That is a shame, although you never know that tile might have been in the range for alot longer than 2 years and you just happened to buy it near the end of it’s lifecycle. We make up tile displays in our shop and then the manufacturers discontinue them too (not letting us know in advance), so I can feel your frustration.
I would suggest you follow the guidelines in the blog and you never know, you might just get lucky.
Kind regards
Susan

Hi Susan
It looks like the tile is from a company called A.L.Co Ceramiche in Italy – but according to the Tile Association website, no current members are stocking tiles from this manufacturer. Their website is tilelook.com. I’d suggest contacting them directly for details of any suppliers of those tiles.
Regards
Susan

Hi Himal
I think that you have done all you can by contacting companies that may have stocked this item in the past. If they are all saying that the tile is discontinued and they have no stock it looks unlikely that you will find anymore by traditional means. There are quite a number of companies now that are internet only based and do not carry stock. The tiles are simply shipped direct to the customer once sold by the initial supplier.

The only other thing you could try is setting up a google alert using the name of the tile as keywords and if you are an ebay member you save it as a search. If any products are then added by someone who has a box left over or not needed you would be emailed an alert.

I am looking to source tiles for a kitchen floor due to underfloor heating going down- i have an image but no more information – are you abel to help? I can’t see a way I can add an image to my comment like others have

Hi Aisha
Thanks for the message but I’m afraid we don’t help match up tiles. Our post is just a little bit of advice and a few suggestions that people might not have known about or considered. Honestly, it is unlikely that an image would be of much help, there are literally thousands of manufacturers around the world and each one with hundred of different styles and then in different colours.
Kind regards
Susan

Hi Steuart
I’m sorry to say that I very much doubt posting a picture would help. Weirdly, manufacturers often use the same names for tiles, which means that even if you know the name of the tile it still could be the wrong one as it is by a different manufacturer. So only having a photo is probably not going to help, especially as images on monitors can vary quite considerably.

Hi David
I’m afraid we can’t help you with this one as we don’t stock Johnson tiles. Unless you have been able to find them through the search engines it is likely that the design has been discontinued. This is very frustrating when making alterations so we would urge everyone to keep spare surplus tiles whenever possible for those unseen changes in the future.
Kind regards
Susan

Hi we are looking for tiles what we remember they came from a big tile place in Swindon village Cheltenham not thr now about 10 years thr a Hassan backed a block off six three being square and three being double grey reddish slate def slate as they break in layers can you help thanks trev

Hi Trevor
It is near impossible to try and match tiles from 10 years ago. It sounds as though you have natural slate tiles so you just need to look for them. However as it is a natural stone it is most unlikely to be anything like what you already have fitted.
Regards
Susan

I am looking for more tiles so I can expand my entryway and laundry room. We had the tiles installed in our home in 2003. There is no marking on the back of the 13 extra tiles we have, but we have a box with some information stamped on it. Duct tape is obscuring some of the writing. It is made by Imola Ceramic a. They are 12 inch square floor tiles: can’t read the first part,then NICA 30, Scelta 1, A2455 Tonopah then can’t read the rest. Any leads for me?

Hi Melanie
Fourteen years is a long time ago and in my experience it is most likely that your tile has been discontinued by the manufacturer. Have a look through all the designs on the Imola Ceramica website to see if any look familiar. If not, then your only option would be to try and track down someone with old stock. Try the Tile Association website to see which members stock Imola and also send an email to Imola Ceramica via their website contact form. Give them the information you gave me and they might be able to give you the full design name. Also ask if they can give you a full list of suppliers in the UK. It will be a lot of work and hopefully you’ll get lucky.
All the best
Susan

Hi Gabriel
I’m afraid it isn’t one that we have ever stocked. Without knowing the manufacturer then it is very unlikely that you will manage to find a replacement tile. We always recommend customers to keep spares but unfortunately they prefer to return them for a refund! If only they didn’t…..
I’m sorry I can’t help you.
Kind regards
Susan

Hi Pete
The Spanish company is Gres de Valls but I’m afraid they are no longer trading. We still have some of their tiles, if you head to our Advanced Search page and type in Gres de Valls in the keywords section – all the tiles from this company will appear. If we don’t have the correct design, you’ll have to try all the Tile Association members who are listing as having stocked this manufacturer – use this direct link for Gres de Valls.
Good luck with your search
Susan

Hi Nora
I’m sorry to say but it is most unlikely that you will find some identical tiles….ones that are similar is probably the best you can hope for after 10 years. If the tiles were boxed in a manufacturers box rather than a B&Q box you could try contacting them directly. Generally however, the big DIY outlets choose a design from the manufacturer which then becomes exclusive to them. The only possibility is if the design was stocked outside of the UK by other tile retailers, but you will then find the cost of shipping the goods into the UK quite expensive.
I’m sorry I couldn’t be of further assistance.
Kind regards
Susan

Hi, same old story, moved into a new home and need a few more tiles to finish off a bathroom, really like what they have used so would prefer not to start over. Aparently they were B&Q badged but they can’t locate them. Happy to go with a different tile but struggling to match the size. Have you come across anything matt beige stone effect 33cm x 23.5cm.

I’m sorry to hear that you can’t find the same tiles from the original supplier. I’m afraid this is very common place and there is no easy answer.

We have various stone effect tiles in a variety of sizes but whether any of them match is probably most unlikely. Tiles can vary by shade, size and thickness. You may find something that is similar but unless you get the same tile with the same batch code, it is always going to stand out and look different. The question is whether you will be happy and can live with odd looking tiles to the rest of the room??

The chances of finding identical tiles is slim at best. Manufacturers regularly bring out new designs and sizes whilst discontinuing others so that replacing a few tiles or matching up a few years later is quite difficult. We don’t have anything in that particular size, so I’m afraid you will have to conduct further searches.

Just one thing to consider though, even if you are okay with having odd looking tiles, should you come to sell a buyer might not be. They might use this to offer a lower price, so why not replace the tiles completely when you are able and get the enjoyment of a new bathroom yourself.

Hi David
I’m afraid it is almost impossible to match tiles unless it is a current design or you are lucky enough to find a shop with unsold stock of a discontinued line.

You need to know the manufacturer of your tile and I suggest you contact them directly. They should then be able to supply you with a list of stockists in the UK who purchased that particular tile. We have knowledge of all the tiles that we have ever stocked from our suppliers but would be unable to suggest a potential ‘near’ replacement as Nimbus Pearl is not a tile we are familiar with.

Hi
I just moved into a flat where the previous owner only tiled half way up the wall above the bath. I would like to install a shower, but the wall will get wet where there are no tiles. The existing tiles are beige, stone-like marble and matt, 400 mm wide x 297 mm deep. I don’t really like them, but would like to spend as little money as possible on filling the wall where they are missing. I don’t think I will be able to find the same tiles as they were probably installed when the house was built, and thought about adding a different white tile above as the rest of the room is white. Do you have any tips on the size or finish for some white tiles? Mosaic? Same size? Matt or glossy? Adding a border? Thank you!

I would suggest sticking to the same finish so keep to matt tiles. As the ones already fitted have a marble pattern I would try to keep the new ones as plain as possible and suggest an off white, ivory or pale cream to go with your beige tiles. You could also use mosaic tiles but these often work out more expensive than regular tiles although you don’t have to watch about matching up grout joints. Although you may have to watch out for a different thickness of tile as they can vary by several millimetres.

It can be quite effective to create a break between the tiles using a metal listello in either a chrome or brushed finish.

We have a new range of tiles just in called Stockholm which are 250x400m and the Perla and Beige versions maybe suitable for you. They’re not yet on our website but you can order a sample by phone. They are currently priced at £17.99 per sq metre.

If not suitable, try to find something similar to these guidelines and I’m sure that the look will be what you are trying to achieve.
All the best
Sue

We are making our kitchen larger and need a dozen or so extra border tiles. I have asked at the shop where we purchased them and they can’t get them any more. I found them online, but the suppliers say they cannot get them any more either. I hate the idea of re-tiling the whole kitchen for the sake of a few border tiles as I really like the colour etc.
They are from The Victorian Emporium and are called “Decorative wall tile ALI – Border tile”.
I do hope someone can help?
Many thanks
Elaine

Dear Elaine
Unfortunately, I would say in the majority of cases it is not possible to match tiles that are already fitted. Only rarely are we able to make a customers day and have the identical tile in stock.
Good luck with your search.
Sue

Hi Kishore
We have just taken two new designs from this company Oriente Marfil and Oriente Crema which are 31.6x45cm and according to the latest Azulindus y Marti catalogue are the only designs they have in this size (but we haven’t yet listed them on our website). We can send samples at 99p per design if you need to check to see if these are the correct designs. Otherwise your tiles must have been discontinued and you’ll really need the tile name to track it down any further. Please try the stockists from the Tile Association page.
Please call 01922 610015 if you wish to order the samples.
Good luck with your search
Sue

Thanks for such a detailed explanation of how to go about sourcing tiles, it is very helpful.

We need to find around 10 border tiles, and after contacting our local suppliers without success I went on to findatile.co.uk. You can enter details about the tile you are searching for and upload a photo, then they will contact you if they manage to source those tiles.

I also took your advice and went onto the Tile Association website (the link in your original piece needs to be updated), and found a company near to me that are listed of suppliers of our tiles whom I hadn’t yet contacted, so fingers crossed! I have also contacted the manufacturer directly.

So I just wanted to reassure people reading your article that it is really easy to look for old stock tiles nowadays (the internet is a wonderful thing!) and it doesn’t take very long at all.

Thank you for your comments, we do our best to help. I’ve now updated the link in the article to the Tile Association so that link is now working properly again.
It does really help if you know the name of the manufacturer and ideally the name of the tile.

We have a mysterious tile that we’re trying to match. It has a “C” (we think) on the back that looks a little like an elongated Chicago Cubs “c”. We’ve taken it to a couple stores and no one seems to recognize the logo. Any ideas? Thanks if so!

Thank you for your enquiry. I can’t say that I recognise that branding on the back of your tile.

We see most of our tile manufacturers at an annual trade exhibition in Valencia, Spain. The trade show has an online list of all exhibitors. I would suggest that you visit the Cevisama page of exhibitors and select the letter C to narrow your choice down. Then when you select each manufacturer, their website is listed which you can visit to view the branding of each company and hopefully one of them will match the C on the back of your tile. As this is a European show, it may not necessarily include your tile company. You could try the Italian exhibition Cersaie which is also a big trade show or you may need to find the website of an equivalent North American trade show.

Hi im trying to locate some tiles for bathroom – they are white square about 8″ x 8″ and they have a KS logo on the back. Had to have new bath fitted and needing at least 30 of these – whole bathroom is tiled so would cost a fortune to do the lot

Hi Jonathon, as far as I can tell the KS could possibly mean KS Canakkale Tiles or Kutahya Seramik- both of which are Turkish tile suppliers. The first manufacturer is the only one listed on the Tile Association website and with only one member who stocks them. If your white bathroom tiles are plain and glossy, you should be able to find a number of retailers with a similar tile but it is unlikely that the shading will match. Although you are not looking to redo the whole bathroom you may find that patching up may not look as good as you would like. I’m sorry I cannot help further, but I wish you well with your search.

Hi Joe, Thanks for your message. I have looked at the pictures and I’m afraid to say that we don’t stock any tiles like these. They are quite unusual and I have not seen any like this previously. It’s a pity you don’t have any loose single tiles available as these sometimes have the name of the manufacturer on the back, which can at least help to track the tile down. I’m afraid I can’t help in your search, is there a way to amend how much of the room is tiled so that you have enough tiles? It isn’t always necessary to tile the whole bathroom.

Is your house a new build, if so, try contacting the builder to find out the name of the tile manufacturer and tile design. If this is not possible and you are unable to locate anymore tiles, you really only have two options, learn to live with it not being completely finished or bite the bullet and consider redoing the bathroom with new tiles. It might not be as expensive as you may think, we have a great new range of tiles in matching wall and floor tiles from £12.25 per sqm – Napoli Gray, Rio Beige and Rio Blanco.

I’m afraid we don’t carry any tiles of that design, and unfortunately I think the design may be a little old to still be in production.
I have had another enquiry this morning from someone who has taken out the bath and needs to match up but I couldn’t help there either because it is next to impossible to source the tiles after a couple of years.
My best advice is to replace the tiles with something completely new, modern and easily chosen as you have got the whole world of ranges at your fingertips ( ie you are not tied to a particular design). It may cost a little more but the end result will definitely be worth it and in the long run I think it is a cost effective solution.
Good luck with your project.

I have done a quick search for you on the manufacturer’s website but the tile you described does not appear to be in their current range. I would suggest going to the contact page on their website and ask them to send you a list of UK retailers who purchased that particular tile code which you can then follow up.